"Don't tell me what to do." I reply to the scaly monster without hesitation. At the same time, I extend a thread of mana toward him. He seems hesitant at first, but once he realizes it contains life mana, he relaxes his defenses.
Monsters of his level possess excellent regenerative abilities, enough for him to recover his arm before long. It will probably take him a little less than a week to heal all his injuries and return to peak condition.
On second thought... maybe closer to two weeks. Wounds inflicted by Grade 5 monsters are no joke. They directly damage the cube or core, which is why they're so dangerous. I have the advantage of having damaged my cube so many times in the past that I've built up a high tolerance and learned how to treat such injuries far more effectively.
I focus on healing his external wounds, the ones that aren't immediately life-threatening. It doesn't require much finesse. His body absorbs my mana like a black hole. I don't have to worry about harming him. The chances of my mana causing something like a tumor or any kind of illness in someone this powerful are practically zero.
His wounds begin healing at a visible pace. I even manage to help repair some of the damage to his core. I stop there because fully healing him would take more than an hour. I don't have that kind of time, and I've already done more than enough. He'll be back at full strength in less than two days... except for his arm. That will take longer.
"Go make yourself useful. I'll catch up soon." I didn't heal him out of kindness alone. I need him to help our side finish this battle faster and avoid unnecessary casualties. I'd like to go myself, but there are still a few matters I need to deal with first.
I don't receive a verbal reply, only a long sigh before he rises from the ground and takes off into the sky. Edupe knows that's the best course of action for us. He's one of the smartest monsters I've ever met—clever and cunning.
"This belongs to you." I toss the ring back to the bald man. "Can I finally know your name? You already know who I am. It would only be fair if you revealed your identity as well." This time I won't back down. I expect answers.
"My name is Grox. It's a pleasure to officially meet you." The bronze-skinned man performs a gesture typical of nobility, and I return it out of respect.
"Can you tell me exactly what you're doing in this territory?" My question is blunt. Normally I'm more relaxed when meeting someone as powerful as he is, but for some reason my instincts keep telling me to be firmer and less accommodating.
"As I mentioned before, I'm following my lord's orders." The bald man doesn't seem offended by my bluntness. "I can't reveal many details, but I was instructed to at least clarify the situation. After all, you have a close relationship with Lady Mirtha and Lady Lully." Those words tell me everything I need to know. He knows far more than he lets on.
"In short, we're looking to expand our influence and make trade between our territory and the Empire much easier. Among all the monsters here, we searched for the one with the greatest potential and the least intelligence so we could use him. Convincing him wasn't easy... and it ended up being pointless since he's dead now." Grox glances at the ogre's corpse and frowns slightly.
"Our plan was to clear part of this untamed route. That would greatly benefit us once the Empire requested negotiations. At the same time, it would solve our shortage of Grade 3 and above monster cores. You know how things are farther south." Grox watches my face carefully, searching for any reaction.
"I understand. Let me tell you... that was an excellent idea." I would have come up with something similar myself if I wanted to expand not only my territory, but also my influence and economy.
I understand why he brought up negotiations with the Empire. Any noble with half a brain would realize the Imperial Government would demand a share of the benefits. However, because this is technically unclaimed land, Sullan Territory would enter those negotiations with a considerable advantage, even if this land officially belongs to the Empire.
Naturally, the Empire would never hand it over. Instead, it could provide funding to speed up construction, send personnel to maintain security and the roads, and receive a portion of the profits in return. That's only the bare minimum. There are many other factors involved, and both sides would benefit enormously.
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
The emergence of my territory completely disrupted their plan. Since we're much closer, we have a tremendous advantage, and we're part of the Empire. It's also widely known that the Empire favors us because of our rapid growth—and, of course, because of me.
Another advantage is that we're much closer to this region than Sullan Territory. He also immediately recognized the alliance between my territory and Edupe. That's why he chose to step back.
This man assessed the entire situation in an instant and selected the option that would benefit his territory the most. He's incredibly shrewd. I'll have to be careful around him.
"Thank you for your kind words. I'll pass them along to the ruler. The idea was his." The bald man genuinely seems pleased by my compliment.
I've heard the ruler is fairly young. He inherited the position less than two years ago after his father decided to retire. Despite his age, he's said to be exceptionally intelligent. Not only that, he's feared for his strength. Rumor has it he's one of the few Diamond Ranks capable of rivaling the weaker Obsidian Ranks.
It's not just this bald man I need to be wary of. The person behind him is even more dangerous in every conceivable way.
"I assume you're looking to establish some kind of partnership with us now." I decide to be direct.
"I'd heard about both your strength and your beauty... but it seems your mind is just as remarkable." Grox's tone remains respectful. I don't detect even the slightest hint of mockery. Had those words come from someone else, they might have annoyed me.
"Exactly. My lord wishes to form an alliance." His answer is clear and concise. I also notice the confidence behind his words. He must have thoroughly studied our situation.
"We're open to negotiations." I answer after a few seconds of silence. I can't refuse. Even though we're growing at an incredible pace, we still need manpower and resources.
His territory will probably want a city as close to the border as possible to make transportation faster and easier. Right now, my family simply doesn't have the capacity to handle something like that on our own.
We won't give up complete ownership of the city, but we can certainly offer generous concessions. There are many similar arrangements throughout the Empire and the neighboring kingdoms. A nearby example is our relationship with Camux Territory. We even have a castle in their main city now, along with smaller castles in several of their largest towns.
"I'll tell you this much. I have a very close relationship with the Lepak family. I can't ignore them." My gaze remains firm. The Lepak family is one of the main reasons I'm willing to pursue this.
"I know. There's no need to worry. We also have a close relationship with them. I'm sure all of us can reach an agreement together." The man's expression never changes, and his eyes never waver. "I hope it happens as soon as possible. Time is money, and money is power."
"I'll contact my grandmother and the Lepak family as soon as possible." I answer without hesitation. I completely agree with him.
"I'll do the same. I'll inform my lord and ask him to get in touch with the Lepak family as well."
We continue talking for a while longer. Our back-and-forth goes even better than I expected. He's wise enough to know what's in his best interest. Still, I can't shake the frustration of being unable to completely read this crafty fox. Even though I didn't lose the exchange, I still feel somewhat frustrated.
"This happened... problems just keep appearing disguised as solutions. I can leave this in your hands, right?" I speak to my grandmother through our connection while flying through the air. It's best to organize the meeting as soon as possible.
"If our territory were stronger, we wouldn't have to rely on their help... and I don't want to keep taking advantage of the reputation of the powerful people supporting us." I hear her sigh. "It's not a bad option. I've heard good things about the new ruler of Sullan Territory, and you have a good relationship with the Lepak family. Everything will work out." She sounds completely convinced.
"I believe so too. It's all in your hands. You always find a solution." I've always trusted my grandmother, and today is no exception.
"Go do what you do best. I'll need you back as soon as possible with a clear mind. You'll be the anchor holding all of this together. I'll make things easy for you, so don't worry." She's already organizing everything in her mind.
I'm flying above the battlefield, sending black swords and Joyeuse at every monster I see. At the moment, I'd be more effective fighting up close, but I can't because of the call.
Just as I'm about to reply to my grandmother, something happens that leaves me completely speechless. My jaw nearly drops from how suddenly and forcefully it happens.
"Grandmother... something unexpected has happened. Something incredibly fortunate for us." I say through our connection. "Get ready for some good news." I end the call while she's asking what happened. I'll make her wait.
I never expected this to happen now, but inspiration can strike in an instant. One of our allies had been pushed into an incredibly desperate situation... and managed to overcome it by breaking through their limits.
"This changes everything..." I smile as I watch the person ascend to the next level. Everything has changed. We're no longer at a disadvantage. We've regained control.